Barrister and Mann - Roam (2016)
Ever-Ready 100T | Elite Razor Manchurian
Radio 1912 | Gem PTFE
Barrister and Mann - Roam EdT (2018)
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I documented my impressions of the famed (infamous) ROAM a couple years ago. To say that this fragrance is polarizing is an understatement. It would seem to be that Roam is not an acquired taste, either. You either like it upon first use, or you loathe it. I've not encountered many that grew to tolerate it, and I've certainly never heard of a detractor growing to love it. It should be obvious that I'm in the "love it" camp. In fact, I've been using my 2016 tubs sparingly, with the assumption that Roam would never see another release. Today, I just cracked open my last 2016 tub, and I added to it the scant remainder of the previous tub. This morning, I used this with abandon, given that Roam now has a 2018 release, and I'm therefore well-stocked. Using roughly a tub per year, I can say with confidence that the scent does in fact transform a bit over time. It doesn't seem to lose any punch, mind you, but it mellows and the earthiness makes an earlier showing and lingers for a bit longer. Off the aged puck, the sharp, almost unsettling smoky tobacco is no longer jarring. To ensure it wasn't just familiarity dictating this assessment, I compared my two year-old tub to the 2018 and my assessment stands. Regardless, puck impressions are unreliable at best. To my nose, lathered Roam is never off-putting. It is unique. While there are many soaps with the same leather, earth, tobacco, and grass profile, there's not a single soap in my arsenal that even approaches its likeness. I intentionally omitted the documented "thyme" note because I've never detected it, while fully understanding it likely influences the accord. While the earth in Roam is damp, the tobacco is cured and dry, teetering on dusty. I've never smoked cigarettes, but there is a transient essence of an unlit cigarette that is reminiscent of a fresh pack of my late father's smokes. I will note this is nothing like the dankness of that of an actual burning cigarette. The damp earth doesn't start off damp, but rather transitions from a dry, sun-baked, cracked iron ore, then a brief slick red clay, before settling into a more herbaceous and grassy damp earth. The leather starts off worn. This is not nubuck or rawhide but much closer to earth-caked boots or saddle leather. I have the Kyovu as well as the Tonique, and I much prefer the Tonique. The Kyovu seems to carry a maple and caramel note that blends with the smoke to suggest maple-cured bacon---pleasant, but it takes me out of the whole Roam experience, if you will. The splash seems to be the more realized interpretation of the original creation, and it has amazing staying power. In addition to the soap's aforementioned notes, the splash does the same but with more intensity. I also consistently detect a salty presence during the protracted dry-down which ends up being about 6 hours from my two year-old bottle.
Almost as a big FU to the detractors, the 2018 release introduces for the first time a Roam EdT. I used this today and 8 hours out, it maintains a bold presence (one-pump to my solar plexus). I just picked up one bottle of the EdT, but given the reasonable price, I may yet pick up more.
In the early days of Roam, there was much dissention. Frankly, it was before its time. In current times, I like to think the community has matured enough and has been exposed to enough fringe fragrances that it's learned to simply pass on fragrances that aren't for them without disparaging the ones that do or the artisans' for that matter.
Barrister and Mann is pulling out the stops for their 5th anniversary. Here's to hoping there are many more anniversaries to come.
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